1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a re-closable pouring element for liquid food, packaged in cardboard/plastic composite packages including a base, encircled by a flange and having both an inner thread and an outer thread, an opening element having at least one cutting edge or the like as well as perforations and a screw cap implemented as a threaded lid, wherein the opening element has an outer thread and is arranged inside the base and wherein the opening element is formed so that when the screw cap is used for the first time, it cuts an opening in the material of the package located under the pouring element.
2. Description of Related Art
Re-closable pouring elements for liquid food packaged in cardboard/plastic composite packages of various configurations are known in practice. On the one hand they serve for first-time opening of the packages and in the configuration of interest here are fitted from the outside onto the already filled and closed package. Frequently for this purpose the package material in the region of the (later) opening for pouring has a weakened zone. This can be formed either as a perforation in the material or however as an opening for pouring in the substrate (Cardboard) which, when the inner and outer plastic layers are laminated, is covered over with plastic, usually polyethylene (EP 1 591 367 A1).
In each case it is necessary, when opening for the first time, that a cutting force applied by the user is translated into an opening operation, so that reliable opening of a sufficiently large opening for pouring is ensured. Besides pouring elements with swivelling opening elements, such pouring elements, which are provided with a screw cap as lid and wherein twisting off the screw cap for the first time causes corresponding turning of a ring-shaped opening element into the package material, have in particular proven satisfactory.
A pouring element of this kind is disclosed in EP 1 262 412 A1. It consists of a base, encircled by a mounting flange, having a hollow-cylindrical opening element arranged therein and a screw cap, the three individual parts being coordinated with one another, so that when the pouring element is opened for the first time, a helical movement of the opening element and thus creation of an opening for pouring results by means of positive connection between screw cap and opening element.
The known pouring element has perforations distributed over the circumference of the opening element, which perforations are to provide better aeration, in order to permit “gulp-free” pouring. In order to achieve this, they must, in the case of the swivelled (with the package) pouring element, if possible be arranged above the level of the product. This arrangement however makes it difficult to completely empty the contents of the package. The known pouring element must therefore always be fitted in a pre-determined direction onto the respective type of package.
Another pouring element is known from DE 10 2004 040 928 A1. Here a window opening is provided as an aperture, which is arranged for pouring out so that it is brought into line with an opening in the cutting tube, after this has cut open the package material.
Another known pouring element (EP 1 262 412 A1) has openings in the opening tube which, when pouring out, serve to allow air to enter the package. Although these will also be able to improve emptying of the residues, after first-time opening they remain, together with the opening tube, in the opened position.
Finally yet another three-part pouring element is known from WO 2004/000667, wherein however the opening element is not moved by screwing. The actual opening operation consists in a combination of a piercing and a rotating motion, thus superimposition of an axial and a radial movement. Because this known opening element does not do away with apertures, this is also not optimized in respect of the emptying of residues.
However it is dependent on the size whether the packages are emptied all at once by the consumer, or however, due to their size, are re-closed again or several times before being thrown away. Thus on the one hand small package sizes, for example units for school children, sportsmen or for consumption in the car having contents of 0.2 or 0.25 litres as so-called “single-serve” applications, are usually emptied in one go. On the other hand packages of 1 or 1.5 litres or even larger units are usually re-closed after opening for the first time in order to protect the product from loss of aroma, absorption of extraneous odours etc. Here however the known pouring elements are not universal enough.